NJ Senator: Drop Beach Admission Post-Sandy

A New Jersey state senator wants beaches that are given federal money to rebuild in the wake of damages from Hurricane Sandy to drop their exorbitant entrance fees in return.

“I’ve long believed that the state’s beach tag [admission] system unfairly limits access to a public resource which has been the beneficiary of a great deal of state and federal investment,” Michael Doherty, a Republican representing the 23rd Legislative District in Somerset, told the Newark Star-Ledger.

“The damage done by Hurricane Sandy simply illustrates this point on an unprecedented scale.

“The Jersey Shore is a state treasure and an important economic engine, but it is a resource that belongs to all of us and is maintained by the taxes that all of us pay.”

All but five beaches in New Jersey charge entrance fees ranging from $15 per carload to $9 per adult.

Doherty told the Star-Ledger he is drafting legislation that would require free beach access. In addition, he wants towns to drop the fees they charge for use of their public restrooms.